This class is about fun and experimenting- the creativity and enthusiasm in our first semester was inspiring! Students wrote and shared original work, explored various forms of poetry, and even invented new forms. Quick “starts” of poems written during webinars, like these examples, fueled further writing.
A picture is worth many poems! In these pieces, students noticed details and captured feelings, in sometimes just a few lines. We also looked at how word choices and sounds evoke emotion.
Jungles teem with life below
Mountains touch the sky
Beauty and contrast
-Moksh
A tree-filled island
on a glassy sunset lake
Water turned to gold
-Lemony
Sea grass sways in water
Sea turtle swims far above
The field in the sea
-Joshua
Bright yellow, white and green.
Misty skies, blue behind grey.
Me every day.
-Pippa
Leaves like molten gold
sky like shining sapphires
tree stretching its branches
-Lemony
waves crash against sand
the seafoam laid against the rocks
the water shone in the light
-Juli
In a tree so tall
life in a small round blue ball
in a ball of twigs
-Christopher
Under white fog
Powdered sugar trees
Blank canvas
-Zoe
Along with sharing their individual work, our poets enjoyed writing together!
In one webinar, students collaborated in a renga, or haiku “conversation:
“Theme: Snowstorm” (by Jeremy, Joshua, Lemony, Mischa, Pippa, and Zoe, in no particular order!)
Growing flecks of snow
Everything blanketed
in frosty white
A frog in a snowstorm
Ice on his little toes
A calm gray winter sky
Rolling hills and frosted lakes
White snow whirls around
Hail slams the windows like rocks
Buried in white sea
Not a mermaid
A sea cow
A leaping snow hare
Shatters the cold serenity
And a cloud of ice unleashes
Powder pure, raging peace.
The wound of frost, no peace.
We also created poems inspired by other poems, or even song lyrics!
I don’t need a wand or a spell, ’cause
I have something more powerful. There’s
A force within me that can’t be tamed. Magic
Is not just a word, it’s a feeling. In My
soul, I can sense it stirring. Bones
Are not just solid, they can glow.
– Moksh (Bones, Imagine Dragons)
the sky so big it makes me feel so little
reminding me of the things I never had the strength to do
should i even still try? we
will be okay, it’s all okay, i know
i promise everything i never had, the
dreams, wishes, ambitions, written in the stars
sometimes it’s so hard to welcome
yourself into your own heart, but be kind to him
he’ll treat you with
kindness too. so open
up a little, let yourself find rest in your own arms
-Zoe (This Is Home by Cavetown)
Stars in the midnight sky, each One
having a different light, glowing with a ring
of starshine. The sky is clear, no clouds to
obscure the bright stars, no clouds to rule
the sky and take the place of them
the stars which rightfully cover the sky, which rightfully spread over it all.
-Lemony W. (Poem from The Lord of the Rings)
Over on the horizon, yes HERE,
Rests the Worm, and he COMES
To try to be a butterfly, just to fly THE
Way up to the SUN.
– Jeremy (Here Comes The Sun, The Beatles)
And in these pieces, students share their thoughts about finding inspiration for poetry!
Poetry can be found in the ripples of disturbed water, and what lies beneath the surface
Poetry can be found in the imperfections of art, and in the bitter scent of turpentine as it wafts around a studio
Poetry can be found in the leaf blowing in the chilly September air
Poetry can be found in the highlights of your eyes in your reflection in the mirror
Poetry can be found in a glass of lemonade topped with crushed ice that glistens like shattered glass
Poetry can be found in the fuzzy notes of an old song on a vinyl record
-by Zoe P.
Poetry is found
In the surface of the lake
And the great green trees
-by Joshua
Finding poetry is like a hide-and-seek game
Two snowflakes will fall, two never the same.
Poetry is not lost, never was, but not found
Just hiding away deep beneath the ground.
I’ve found words within flowers, cats, and Grandpa’s cane,
I’ve found it while driving and yelling, “Stay in your lane!”
Above my head, falling down in the form of rain,
Dripping down my window pane.
I can make poetry from the weirdest things
Inspiration glides down on golden wings.
Try looking out your window,
Or under the garden rock,
And from there you just may find,
The magic key to the lock.
This is where you can find poetry,
There is where you can find poetry,
Here is where you have found poetry.
-Mischa W.
Poetry is everywhere.
From Star Wars to Earth.
To Earth to Mars.
It can be changed, it can be altered, but it can always be found.
Inside of oceans.
Inside of storms.
Poetry can always be found.
-by Christopher
Where do you find poetry?
Is it in the tears you shed
Or the laughs you share?
Is it in the memories you keep
Or the dreams you dare?
Where do you find poetry?
Is it in the words you write
Or the images you create?
Is it in the websites you visit
Or the blogs you follow?
Where do you find poetry?
It is everywhere and nowhere
It is hidden and revealed
It is inside and outside
It is yours and mine
Poetry is where we find ourselves.
-by Moksh W.
And- on the theme of “poems about poetry”- students collaborated on a weekly acrostic poem!
Our Poetry Acrostic (by Christopher, Jeremy, Joshua, Juli, Lemony, Mischa, Moksh, Pippa, and Zoe)
P for poetry! Perfect, playful, patterns, playing with words. Performance, possibilities, personal, and powerful.
O for original, organized, observant, open-ended, ode, old forms, obvious, ovation, and open-minds.
E for ethereal, eternal, ecstasy, experiment, elegant, exciting, exploring, expression, and extremely excellent!
T for talk, teeming, terrifying, trusting, trivia, teetering, tetrameter, triumphant, theme, tension, tone, terrific, trochaic, and truth.
R for rhyme, rhythm, repetition, reasonable, respectful, remembering, rain, re-arrange, realizing, riddles, rambling, responding, resilient, and reading.
Y for you, yourself- also for yearning, yesterday, yes, yearlong, yell, and yet. Yay!